


Lord of Dogs

by LoneName9



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Assisted Suicide, F/M, Hit-Wizards, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Magical Realism, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Women Being Awesome, references to slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:00:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22178002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoneName9/pseuds/LoneName9
Summary: When Rabastan Lestrange is bought by Rose Potter, the twin to the Boy-Who-Lived for a single gallon in the Azkaban Auction getting a happy ever after is the last thing he expected.Alternatively, how to build a healthy relationship when one of you is a Death Eater and the other is a traumatized child soldier.
Relationships: Rabastan Lestrange/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 26





	1. Lady Luck

**Author's Note:**

> 2020 has been a revolving door of drunk me deciding to write a story then hungover me molding it into a decent story while sober me cries and forces it into a decent story. This story is where Drunk!me took a very cliche idea of buying the love interest at a auction seriously. Don’t drink and write kids.
> 
> I think I’m subconsciously upset with the HP universe but since I’m sober I don’t know what it is.
> 
> Also my idea of Hit Wizards are based off State Alchemist from Full Metal Alchemist and something distinctly not.

So truth, the Minister ran himself into bankruptcy. How the fuck that happened that is left up to debate. But he started borrowing money from the Azkaban funding thinking no one would notice.

They noticed. The guards rioted when they couldn’t be paid so they decided to hold up an auction for the prisoners. The people who bought them could do whatever they pleased.

Of course, they invited all prominent families. Harry and Rose Potter were invited, the Twins who lived. 

Harry of course won the auction for Sirius Black -MIA-, as soon as they leave he was going to set him free. No one was surprised he won, and not only because Rose cursed anyone who tried to outbid him. Nope that had nothing to do with anything what so ever.

It was drawing toward the end of the auction, and Rose Potter had yet to make a bid. Whispers surrounded the twins. Part of the magic of the auction was that one could not attended if they had no intention of bidding, so who was she waiting for?

There was a fierce battle over the fate of Lestrange, Bellatrix between House Malfoy and House Longbottom. The Longbottoms winning because the revenge is sweet and Bellatrix shall pay with her life. 

Lestrange, Rodolphus was sold to his Father. 

The other magical agreement of the auction was you could only buy one prisoner and Lord Lestrange had chosen his oldest son.

Lestrange, Rabastan stood on the stage with no bids and as the timer began to count down.

A single picket appeared, Miss Rose Potter biding one gallon. 

She won. Harry shook his head at her.

-

The youngest Lestrange sat on the couch perplexed over his fate. Rose Potter had taken him to her flat and demanded him “clean himself up, eat something, and dress himself properly” before they talked. Giving him the guest room with clothes that vaguely looked like they would fit him. 

Potter sat in the armchair, shining green eyes and hair black as midnight daintily sipping tea. Rabastan is not sure that this isn’t a particularly strange delusion he is having with the exception that he feels clean for the first time in over a decade. 

“So, I suppose you have questions me?” Potter said politely. Her green eyes taking in his rather long shaggy black hair and thin form.

“Why did you buy me?” If she had intended to kill him, she’d have done it at Azkaban like the Longbottoms did to Bella.

She smirks, “Your mugshots.” 

“Those old photos?” Rabastan will admit, that wasn’t exactly what he was expecting. They were taken when he been arrested, years ago. “How did you even see them?”

“The ministry released them before the auction of course.” Potter said like he was the silly one for asking such a question. “It wasn’t the only reason I bought you, I’ll admit. You’re also unmarried, which I need if I need for my plan to work.”

His eyebrows raise in shock, his looks and marriage status. That could only mean one thing.

“I’ve found myself in need of a pureblood husband, Lestrange.” Potters eyes twinkle not unlike a cat who caught the canary, “We will be married before my 20th birthday so I can inherit the Potter estate.”

“W-What.” He croaks, what had he been sold into. She presented him a basic contract that stated they would be married but not much else was said, it was just a basic betrothal contract.

-

Potter told him the guest room is his for now. They will live in the flat till she can buy a house somewhere with proper warding, the house on Godric Hallow had been turned into a public spectacle she explained. She also said she will refrain from entering, to give him privacy. Which makes him want to laugh, he had spent over a decade in Azkaban there was very little privacy on his level.

Potter also very demandingly stated that Azkaban had done its damage and she’d like him to be healthy again. He would be seeing a couple healers that she ‘trusted’ in her home. Rabastan just nods along, it wasn’t like he could do anything at the moment, she magically owned him. Maybe once he was healthy he could escape and hide at one of the many Lestrange properties around the world.

The next morning over breakfast, she asked him if he wanted to venture out to do shopping or if he would prefer her tailor. He immediately responds with the tailor, not ready to venture out into public. Potter then asks about any interest he might have, she’ll get come owl orders out for any books he would want.

Rabastan gathers what was once his confidence. “Potter, why are you doing this? You own me and are marrying me for political gain, you don’t need to pity me and buy me all this shit.”

She is silent for a moment, the air gets colder as her magic reacts. “There was once a time I had nothing, Lestrange. I take care of what is mine and that now includes you.” 

Her green eyes bare into his dark blue ones before he flicks them away, with a sigh and concedes. “I wanted to be a curse breaker before I entered Azkaban.”

The next day, Rabastan finds a note for him in the kitchen instead of her. Potter had something to go ‘take care’ of and apologies for leaving him alone. He also finds four new curse breaking books on the kitchen table waiting for him. Along a trunk of new clothes for him, proper male grooming items, the potions the healers prescribed and a bunch of catalogues with instructions to pick some stuff.

-

A month into his stay, they’ve developed somewhat of a pattern. Potter comes and goes from the flat regularly, if she leaves for the day she is gone before the sun comes up and returns for dinner. When he awakens he takes his potions and reads one of the books or the newspaper by the window, despite his trying he can’t place where it is. The house elf severs lunch at noon according to the dietary restrictions placed on him by the healers. Then he meditates in his room till she comes home or she calls him for dinner. 

It is a peaceful existence, Rabastan admits. He is slowly but surely recovering.

The dinners with Potters are odd, she asks how he is and he asks a random assortment of questions. Her answers usually leave him with even more questions. At times, Rabastan is pretty sure she is being intentionally vague to get under his skin and at other times brutally honest to hide something.

-

“Where do you go everyday?” He can’t help but ask after the fifth day.

“Work typically.” She said lightly.

“So where do you work?” An office job with the ministry maybe? She couldn’t be an Auror with her regular hours.

“Sometimes, I don’t think there is a place I don’t work.” Said with an air of mystery of course.

-

Usually Potter wears black robes, but today she in a half maroon red and half emerald green sweater with a animated lion prancing around with a snake on its head. Rabastan stares and tries to process, “What is that awful sweater your wearing, Potter?”

“Ah, it was a gift from Luna for my birthday.” Potter looks down, “While odd it is probably the most comfortable thing I own.”

-

“What was your Hogwarts house?” He asked just wanting an answer that made sense one day.

“Gryffindor, of course. I wasn’t about to leave my brother alone in enemy territory.” His eyes brow raised, enemy territory?

-

“Potter, do you not care that I was a Death Eater and done terrible things to end up in Azkaban?” When he was feeling particular depressed.

“We’ve all done terrible things, Lestrange.” Potter said strangely. “We have more in common then you may think.” 

-

“When’s the wedding?” He asks out of the blue before she left the table.

“When I manage to beat the goblins into submission enough, maybe a couple more months.” He stares at her for the nonsensical answer.

-

“Favorite color?” Simple question, maybe he’ll get a simple answer. 

“Depends on what it’s for, like to wear its black but painted on the walls it’s white.” He doesn’t know why he even tries.

“Do you do this intentionally to annoy me?” His eyebrow twitches.

“Sometimes.” She smirks.

-

The pattern breaks one morning when he finds her in the kitchen using cooking charms without a wand. She’s in black muggle clothes and has a music bubble on, which is why she doesn’t hear his approach. Potter has been baking it seems, a couple trays of muffins are on the counter. 

“Good morning,” he greets her from the doorway. 

Startled, Potter jumps and turns to toward him. The cooking charms continue but she turns off the music. To his amusement, her face reddens when she spots him. “Good morning , Lestrange. Hope you don’t mind muffins for breakfast.”

“As long as their blueberry,” he smirks. Potter isn’t meeting his eyes and is instead staring at his chest. Since he doesn’t have a wand he can’t cast cooling charms when it gets hot at night so he has taken to sleeping in just pajama bottoms.

“Yes, I’ll bring them right out. Please sit.” She said absentmindedly. With a wave of her hand, a muffin and a cup of coffee zoom to the counter for him.

Rabastan sits and takes a sip of his coffee, “Do you usually use wandless magic for everything?”

“Sometimes,” Potter said sitting next to him on the counter summoning her own coffee and muffin. “Not in public of course but it’s easy, ya know?”

“For the powerful maybe,” he said with a hint of sarcasm. “I’m not that powerful.”

After a moment, she sighs. “From what I understand you went thru your last magical majority stage in Azkaban but our power levels are similar, so if I can do you can too.”

Magic power levels grow as people age, the reason Hogwarts starts at 11 is because that is when the first hits for both genders. Like puberty, women have a tendency to mature faster and their last stage hits at anywhere from 18-20 while for men it is 21-24. Rabastan had been in Azkaban since he was 19, the magic dampers had kept him from recognizing his magical maturity but he had been trying to connect it thru meditation. 

“How did you know my magical levels?” He eyes her suspiciously, not even Azkaban would provide that information. The testers had all be outlawed as dark magic ages ago.

“Normally, I’d say it’s a secret but I suppose I can tell you this one because it could be guessed.” Potter looks forward, gripping her cup. “I came into my second magical majority in battle, Lestrange. One of the effects is being able to walk into a room and tell who is the biggest threat.”

“In battle?” Magical majorities happen under stress, which is why OWL’s usually cause girls and NEWTS cause boys second majorities. For hers to have happened in battle though, could only mean one thing. “You’re a war mage.”

“Indeed,” she downs the coffee. “Thanks for the conversation, I’ve gotta deliver these muffins to Padfoot.”

“Wait, our power levels are similar?” His brain catching up with the implication, his second maturity had been his NEWTS but if her words ring true...then what did his magic focus on in Azkaban. 

She ignores the question, “I’ll be back for lunch. Please put on a shirt before then.” 

Rabastan deliberately does not put on a shirt, he doesn’t normally walk around half naked but the urge that it bothered her enough to comment on it made him do it. He doesn’t look half bad despite only being out of Azkaban for a month, probably due to the work of the healers. He had put on quite a bit of muscle, looking less sickly and gaunt but his reading in he sun had put some color back onto his body. Despite what he looked like in Azkaban, Rabastan wasn’t a particularly hairy man with light black chest hair. The second day. He had shaved off the monstrosity that had been growing on his face for a goatee he had favored, which showed off his aristocratic face. 

He lounged on the couch reading a book when Potter walked in the front door, she wasn’t alone though a little redhead girl poked her head over her shoulder when the taller girl ahead sighed at the sight of him.

“Wow, Rose. I know we always teased you about never getting a boyfriend but did you have to show us all up with a ‘man’ friend.” The redhead teases Potter, who’s head is in her hands.

“Shut up, Ginny.” Potter mutters walking to her room. “Let me go grab the potions and books for you and the twins.” 

The door shuts and the two of them are left staring at each other. The redhead offers her hand, “You must be Rabastan Lestrange, I’m Ginny Weasley.”

“Weasley, pleasure to meet you,” he said politely shaking her hand. This is the first time someone else had dropped by the flat that wasn’t a healer since he’s been here and of course it be a baby Weasley.

“Ginny, please. There are far too many of us around, specially around Rose.” She smirks, “I suppose she’ll introduce you to the family soon.”

“I have no idea of her plans.” He tells the young girl and other then the marriage.

“You haven’t asked?” Ginny looks confused.

“Have you tried to get a straight answer out of her?” Rabastan spends at least half the time with Miss Potter confused. “It’s nigh impossible.”

“Well that’s Rose for you, no one is quite sure how she managed to side out of Slytherin in school.” Ginny shrugs, like it’s one of the worlds greatest mysteries.

“It’s cause I’ll stab you in the front.” Potters voice calls out to them, a stack of books flying in front of Ginny for her to grab. “Also I threatened to set fire to the sorting hat.”

“I knew it, George owes me 10 gallons!” Ginny takes her wand out to float the books with her.

“Stop betting on me.” Potter stands with her hands on her hips, pointing to the door. “Now get going before Harry lights something on fire.”

Ginny laughs walking to the door, “Bring your man friend around sometime or I’ll tell mum, Rose.”

Potter slams the door shut behind her friend. “Sorry, Gryffindors. Always a rowdy bunch.”

“It’s alright,” If alright felt a bit like a hurricane had walked thru the flat. “It’s your flat, your allowed to have friends visit.”

“That wasn’t a friend, that was trouble given human form. Otherwise known as Harry’s Girlfriend.” Potter sighs, “If she tramples in unannounced in the future feel free to toss her out the door. Or any red head for that matter, the entire Weasley clan is chaos. I’ve never forgiven Harry for sticking us with them.”

Rabastan can’t help the laugh that burst out, Potter looks so much perturbed and disgruntled by the whole thing. It sounded remarkably like he did when Rodolphus introduced Bellatrix to him, like no one is worthy of their sibling. Potter quirks her lips at his amusement. “You sound so much like I did about the Black family, Potter.”he said as an explanation.

“Understandable, from my understanding there were about as many Blacks as Weasley back then.” Potter shrugs, “Also feel free to call me Rose, Merlin knows everyone else does.”

“I’m not everyone else, Potter.” He said standing from the couch, stretching his back.

“I suppose not, Lestrange.” She said strangely before pleading. “Will you please put on a shirt now?”

He does, but after that day he makes it a habit to walk around in various states of undressed just to annoy her. One of the most memorable is when she walked into the door when he left the bathroom in just his boxers once. Rabastan is oddly pleased feeling that his sex appeal bothered her so much, it isn’t a feeling he has had since Hogwarts after all.

It does help his quest in getting straight answers though.

-

“Did the magical really admit you in because you found me hot and wanted to own me?” He teases her over dinner.

“It did, Harry hasn’t let me live it down since.” Potters face blushes a bit.

-

“So if the Weasleys aren’t your friends, who are?”

“Luna Lovegood is my best friend and if given a choice I hang out with Theodore Nott or Neville Longbottom.” 

“Nott?” The Nott family are notorious for being a dark pureblood family, about as Potters are for being a Light family.

“Yeah, we started hanging out when we found ourself in the same hiding spot trying to hex Malfoy in our first year.” She smirks, hexing Malfoys is fun bonding experience he admits from experience.

-

“Can you make those blueberry muffins again one day?” He randomly asks, honestly just to see what she would do.

“Sure, I’ll make them tonight.”

-

“What is the ceremony we’re using for the wedding?” He asks one day.

“The traditional Potter hand-fasting, it’s the requirement.” She answers like it’s unimportant.

“I don’t suppose there is a book about it or something because I’m not sure what that actually means.” The Lestrange and Potter families had never crossed before so it wasn’t like he’d know.

“Yes,” she summons a book with the wave of her hand it come flying out of her room to him.

-

“Do you know how to dance?” He asks out of blue, he couldn’t think of a better question.

“No.” She answers quietly. Rabastan can tell there’s a story there but he won’t pry. His magic is telling him not to push.

-

“Why do you always wear black?” Other then that one day in the sweater her entire wardrobe had been black. Even right now in her flat she’s wearing black cargo pants with a black button down.

“You mean for other then aesthetic?” She looks thoughtful, “I don’t know how to say this without it sounding like a celebrity problem but it’s because of the press. It be easier for me show you.”

To his shock, Potter unbuttons her black button down reveling a green undershirt she shrugs off the shirt and flips it inside out for him to see. In the light, it reveals stitched runes in the fabric. Rabastan runs a finger over them, “Privacy? No, a mirror charm?”

“I have those stitched into all my clothes, it’s based off the theory of invisible cloaks.” Potter lightly mentions, “Magical and muggle cameras use mirrors or a mirror charm for their photo taking qualities, so with these they can’t. I effectively become the background.”

“That doesn’t explain why they are black, Potter.” Rabastan was the top of his classes at Hogwarts and he enjoyed reading but theories of thread magic like invisible cloaks is a ouch for his know. Magic like invisible cloaks works because it’s magic. 

“You know how invisible cloaks are always grey? The runes inscribed in them for the magic to work have to be grey. For my mirror runes, the threads need to be black.” Potter explains openly with a tone of someone who is clearly not use to explain things.

Rabastan hands her back the button down but she doesn’t put it on. Her pale arms lean against the dark wood of the table in a stark contrast, somehow tho he didn’t expect all the scaring littering her arms. War mage, battles, it tell quite a story. Her right hand appears to have words carved into it but at this angle he can’t read them. 

“Well, I admit. That is a much better answer then I expected.” He teases, “I expected something like ‘hides bloodstains’ better or something to that effect.”

She grins, “That is an additional benefit.”

-

“Where did you grow up?” He asked, the newspaper he had read that morning had an article about the Boy who Lived’s childhood and well she was his twin.

“Scurry and London mostly,” Potter confirming the article. “What about you?”

“London and Paris,” the Lestrange family had many French properties much like the Blacks.

“That’s nice, I’ve never left the country.” She pauses before asking, “Does that mean you speak French?”

“Oui, also my German is passable.”

-

Potter comes home early one day, she knocks on his door. “Lestrange, can you come out here?”

“Potter, your home early.” He said surprise walking out into the living room.

“Yes, well I was wondering if you would mind stepping out into public for a bit?” She asks awkwardly.

“Why?” This would be their first public appearance together.

“Well Diagon Ally prevents apparition into shops so if you want to visit Ollivanders then we have to walk from the apparition point.” Potter stated, her green eyes looking strangely like she is l poking thru him rather then at him.

“Ollivander, you’re allowing me a wand?” He asks surprised, he was essentially her prisoner or slave or future trophy husband. It was an odd relationship to define, honestly. Frankly, there wasn’t a reason for her to allow him a wand.

“It’s best if your able to defend yourself.” She looks sad, “there’s been an attack on the Longbottoms.”

“Alright, I’ll go get dressed.” Like Merlin was he going to turn down having his own wand, especially a Ollivander wand rather then one found on Knockturn Ally.

He pulls on a grey vest and outer robe but leaves the top two buttons of his shirt unbuttoned and rejoins Potter how is now holding a small black box.

“Here, wear this.” Opening the box reveals a silver pocket watch, it’s pretty there aren’t any designs on the outside of it so he takes and attaches to his trousers. “Good, now lets get going.”

She offers her arm before frowning, withdrawing it. “I don’t suppose you’d mind if I hold your arm for side aperation.”

Rabastan raises an eyebrow at her sudden change for traditional appearance but holds out his arm for her to tuck her hand on. Typically, the male is the one to do it while the women holds on the males arm. Not that women couldn’t be the one to appearate the two they don’t admit to it. 

And with a twist, they’re at the Diagon Ally south entrance point. Pointedly ignoring the people whispering at their appearance, they walk swiftly down the block to Ollivanders. 

“Miss Potter, pleasure to see you again.” Ollivander greets her first before turning toward him. “Mister Lestrange, I hope your next wand will be used for less nefarious purposes.”

“Sir,” Potter said sternly. “We need to make this quick.”

Ollivander adopts a similar face, “Of course, Officer. Mister Lestrange, wand arm.” 

His eyes narrow, why would he call a Potter Officer? She wasn’t an Auror. Filling it away for later, he holds out his right arm. The measuring tape flies at him, the wand maker hums and he’s presented with several wands.

His original wand had been Blackthorn unicorn tail hair 12 inch described as unyielding but it seemed the was destined for a Redwood Phoenix feather also 12 inches. 

Ollivander looked rather shocked when the wand chose him. “Well well well, Mister Lestrange. It seems you’ve changed quite a bit. Redwood sands are especially rare, I suspect you shall do some great things.”

“How much?” Potter asked not even phased.

“15 gallons because of the rarity.” She pays and they leave the shop. 

“Shit,” Potter curses the shop was surrounded by reporters and a crowd of people. “Come on.” She grabs his arm and pulls him thru the crowd.

“Miss Potter, how is the trials going?” A older male in the crowd asks.

“Miss Potter, will you face Azkaban for your crimes?” A younger male.

“Miss Potter, how does it feel to be one of the first slave owners in Britain in years?” A young lady accuses.

“Miss Potter, did you have anything to do with the attack on the Longbottoms?” A voice he can’t place asks.

“Miss Potter, which designer are you wearing?” A fashionable lady asks.

“How do you feel about the current Ministers financial plan?” Another male asks.

Potter only keeps repeating “No comment.” As she pushes her way thru the crowd with him till they get to the end of the block to Diagons exit and with a twist they’re back at the flat. “Is it always like that?” He asks her, that was rather exhausting.

“If Harry and I are seen together it’s usually worse.” Potter sighs, she still hasn’t let him go. A second goes by and her head pops up, “Hold for a second.”

Her small pale hand reaches under the collar of his robe and pulls out a beetle. It’s the closest they’ve ever been, Rabastan sees her face turn into a delighted grin. “Miss Skeeter, how... nice to see you.” She tells the beetle.

The beetle becomes a women, Rita Skeeter the reporter. “Miss Potter, delighted to see you again.”

“Rita, darling. I see you didn’t take Grangers warning seriously.” Potters voice turns sickening sweet. Rabastan steps back and fades to the background, he’s seen enough cat fights to know not to get involved. Plus with Potter being a war mage, it might prove interesting.

“Please, Potter. You don’t scare me.” The older lady said with bravely. 

“You should.” Potters smile turns downright evil and with a flash of red magic, Skeeter falls to the ground in a scream of pain. Potter waves her wand and magically lifts the body of the women. 

“Lestrange, I have to go take out the trash. Don’t wait up for me.” And with a twist, they’re gone.

Well, that wasn’t quite what he expected this day to go but least he has his new wand. With a flick of his wand, the book he had been reading flew to him. He smiles, it’s been so long. 

The next morning, Potter is asleep on the couch in the same clothes as she left in.

Rabastan grabs coffee and food as quietly as he can and returns to his room for the day. 

That evening she calls him for dinner as normal, not saying a word other then her daily how was your day. They eat quietly before it’s his daily question that he gets to ask. 

“Potter, what was that red spell you cast?” He had been thinking about it all day and had his suspicions, wondering if she would admit to it.

“Stunner.” She says too quickly for it to be the truth, here eyes not looking at him.

“Stunners don’t cause their victims to scream like that,” Rabastan knows dark magic, knows the unforgivables. He would recognize the one that sent him to Azkaban. “Was that what I suspect?”

Potter blinks her eyes at him innocently, “It couldn’t be, Lestrange. It’s well documented that spell can’t be cast non-verbally wandlessly.”

It was a good tactic but wouldn’t work on him. Considering half the things she does in the flat shouldn’t be cast wandlessly or non-verbally in the first place. “Right, guess from the way your spell worked that wasn’t the first time you’ve done that?”

“Of course,” a small smirk appears on her face. “Those type of spells don’t work on their first try after all.”

He smirks back, “You really have to want it.” 

Rabastan fucking knew it. Potter practices dark magic.

-

Apparently, their adventure to Diagon Ally means the papers must have a week long expose on twin of the boy who lived. Accuses her of being a glory hound, the mysterious act covering up for being a dark sympathizer, that she should face ‘war crime’, and a laundry list of things really. Her buying him is barely mentioned, on the second page in one sentence. “Potter, should I feel insulted that I’m only a sentence in their list of why you are a terrible person?”

She laughs, green eyes with delight. “Don’t worry Lestrange, I am sure when we marry you’ll be number one on the list of why I’m the next Dark Lord.”

-

“What is your wand?” He asked just because he could really, Potter knew his after all.

Her face though shuts down and recites what Ollivander told her at 11. “It’s Elder wood with a phoenix feather, 11 ¾ inches quite springy.”

“How odd for the both of us to end up with quite rare wand wood types.” Rabastan comments, Elder wood wands were notoriously picky so they were extremely rare. He can’t place someone else with one. 

“Yes, it is.” She puts lightly, “I was the only one attending Hogwarts with that wood while I was there.”

The way she phrased that was odd, “Attending? Did one of the Professors share wand wood types as you?” 

“I shared wand wood type with Dumbledore.” She shrugs, “He had been amused by it really.”

-

“Why did you give me a pocket watch?” Rabastan asks, he can’t find anything special with it.

“Ward key. You can’t get in or out without it.” Potter explains.

“Then how did Skeeter get in?”

“Luck, she crawled from your pocket chain to the collar of your robes.”

-

About a week passes before something breaks routine, Healer Apple who had treated him during the first month popped in with Potter in his arms in tatters.

“Healer!” Rabastan is up in an instant, “What happened?”

“Classified,” Healer said angrily, “but most likely another suicidal mission!”

“I’m fine.” Potter mutters, “wasn’t suicide.”

“That is not reassuring, Potter! You’re only 18!” The healer hisses before turning to him, “Can you direct me to her bed?”

“Is fine. I got my target.”

“This way,” Rabastan leads them, nothing stopping him from swinging the door wide open revealing her room for the first time. Which looked more like a library then a bedroom, so many books piled everywhere with the exception of one shelf with muggle cd’s. The Healer behind him sighs at the mess, evidently familiar with Potters habits.

“Potter, here I thought you’d take better care of yourself once you had someone to go home too and care for.” the man mutters as he places her in the bed. Rabastan raises his eyebrow, the man cared for Potter more then he let on then a ‘trusted healer.’

Healer Apple waved his wand and Potter was asleep. “Lestrange, despite what she may say Potter is not fine and we can’t legally keep her in the hospital. She shouldn’t use magic for a 24 hour period, so you’ll have to cast all the spells for her.” The Healer grumbles and pulls out a couple vials, with a note. “Make sure she takes these potions with breakfast, then I need you to cast this spell at lunch.” 

“Alright,” he agrees easily before pushing for a answer he asked weeks ago. “But I don’t suppose you’d be able to tell me who she works for that would put her in this position?”

“She didn’t tell you? Potter works for the crown.” Healer Apple said before he left the flat in a pop.

Rabastan conjured a chair and sat at Potters bedside. Her robes were cut in numerous places, dried blood flakes to the skin he cuts revealed, her black hair frayed almost burnt. He casts a cleaning charm and transfigured her clothes into plain black pajamas. 

Her soft snores the only thing piercing the air.

Rose Potter worked for the crown, Potter the war mage, proficient in dark magic enough to cast it wandlessly. Ollivander called her an ‘Officer.’ 

Truth, there are only two wizards who could claim to work for the crown. The minister of magic and Hit Wizards or military unit called upon in times of need. 

The last known use of the force had been during the last big muggle war, the blitz had simply been to big of an event for the Hit Wizards to hide their involvement. There wasn’t many Hit Wizards to begin with, they were scattered and had to directly defend Wizarding England from the bombings. 

Rabastan muses, it’s hard to imagine that this young girl hated by the public is part of a secret military group who only answers to the crown. Somehow, the person he has gotten to know it certainly fits her. Hit Wizard Rose Potter is 5’9, 18, and lethal when awake, but asleep she only just a girl. It wasn’t long ago he was just a boy 18, fresh out of Hogwarts with a tattoo on his arm, unforgivables on his lips, and feeling on top of the world. Maybe if they had gone to school together, his younger self would have fallen in love with her. 

Before Azkaban, the only girl he had ever felt true potential with had been Andromeda Black who ran from him. Her dark hair had been straighter and lighter then Potters, with brown aflame with fury instead of green who occasionally glow from power. Both intelligent and powerful individuals that towed the lines between dark and light. Rose may have been a Gryffindor but her cunningness slide thru the cracks of her bravery. 

Something in his magic told me to stick by Potter, in this weird relationship he found himself in. So he’ll stay and help heal her, Rabastan’s instincts in Azkaban had kept him safe before and he trusted them. Sometimes, the world works in mysterious ways.

The next afternoon, after he had followed Healers Apples instructions exactly. The flat had been fairly quiet typically but it fell silent. 

“May I ask you a question, even though it’s a bit early for it?” Rabastan wants confirmation from her of her profession, to voice it to him for some reason.

“Sure, Lestrange.” Potter responds, her eyes turn toward him.

“Are you a Hit Wizard?” He asks directly as just as he has asked every other question.

“Yes,” she confirms easily before reintroducing herself. “Major Rose Potter, at your service.”

“Does anyone else outside the military know?” Rabastan couldn’t see the ever vocal boy who lived letting the public drag his sister if he knew what he was doing, or letting her do it in the first place. “How long have you been involved with them?” 

“No.” Rose looks a bit pained. “I was 15 when I started. Age is just a number for them, if you are called you serve.”

From the articles, he recalls there was some sort of battle at a graveyard she was involved in and the death of Madam Umbridge was one of the many things that made her evil. In his cell that year he got a newspaper that accused her of being the next dark lord. Bella had gotten a kick out of an icky little Potter being the next dark lord when her brother defeated the last. “The government allows for you to be dragged in such a way in public? Next dark lord?”

“It’s my cover, if I am hated and feared then no one goes looking for the officer.” She says nonchalantly, it was her life she must have accepted it a while ago.

“That is a pretty terrible cover, you must be incredibly lonely.” It must be why none of the friends she named never comes to visit, the words the Healer spoke. 

“Sometimes,” she closes her eyes. “Part of being a Hit Wizard is that I’m allowed to kill. So gonna run now, Death Eater?”

He raises an eyebrow at her trying to push him away, “Can’t. I’m your captive fiancé after all.”

Potter softly smiles at that, it’s tinged with sadness and a bit broken. He is broken as well, so they’ll make a good match.

-

Rabastan wants to push for more answers about her job but he doesn’t think he should push it so he asks, “What is your favorite flower?”

Potter blinks at the question startled by it, “Roses. It’s a bit cliche considering my name but white roses.”

-

“Would you be willing to share with me some of your music collection?”

“Are you sure? It’s mostly muggle.”

“Do you have anything by the Beetles? I loved their music.”

“Do I have the Beetles?” She snorts, “Of course I have the beetles.”

-

“Potter, why do you want the Potter estates? It doesn’t come with any useful land.” Rabastan has been thinking about it for a while, the contract she showed him had gone thru quite a few loops in law for her to retain the Potter last name. 

“The Potter Estate mostly consist of business and a title.” She explains, “For me I need the title, I’m not particularly business savvy so I’m passing it over to Harry.”

“What would you need the title for?” Titles only mean you have a seat to be used for politics, Potter had no such ambitions. The only thing it could be, “Does it have something to does it’s your employer?” 

“Indeed,” She smirks. “A Noble is considered to important to be an active member of the military and is instead a reserve member. So I need to be a Lady, the last name isn’t important.”

-

“How do I use the muggle box in the living room?”

“Ah, I’ll get you an instructional manual.”

-

Around the two month mark of the auction, public outcry forced the ministry to check in on the prisoners who were bought in the auction. Potter showed them their letter, the inspection was at 11 tomorrow by Ministry Inspector Hermione Granger.

“Granger, come in.” Rose greets this strange fizzy hair young women at the door with an air of cold indifference instead of her sharp politeness. Rabastan thinks he should have asked her about the inspector yesterday before instead of asking about getting a toaster.

“I’m here to assess the state of Lestrange, Rabastan.” The women storms into the flat, he’s sitting on the couch. Potter waves the women to sit on the armchair while she sits on the couch next to him. She holds a hand out to him, “Mister Lestrange, pleasure.” 

“Inspector.” He doesn’t take the hand, his magic is warning him against it. “Why can. I do for you?”

“Just answering a couple of questions,” she pulls out a clip board and quill from her purse the lack of a handshake not deterring her in the slightest. “Alone.”

“Not happening.” Potter said sternly, glaring at the other women.

“You don’t get a choice, Potter.” Granger glares, drawing her wand. Rabastan feels Potters magic rise and trickle into the air preparing to fight.

Diplomatically, which is trip considering he’s the Death Eater, he puts an end to their conversation. “Inspector, I would feel more comfortable if Potter was present.” 

Grangers eyes flick to him, “Fine. First question, are you healthy?”

“Yes, I’ve complied with all the healers orders.”

“Have you been provided with daily food?” “Yes.”

“Have you been outside in the past two months?” “Yes.” 

“Have you ever felt mistreated in the presence of Potter?” “No.” 

“In the past two months, have you ever felt in danger of violence?” “No.”

“Would you be willing to prove you haven’t been brainwashed?” Granger asks the last question pointing her quill at him.

“What the fuck, Granger?” Comes from his side where Potter was.

“It’s a legitimate question, Potter.” Granger smirks like a cat who caught the mouse. “Answer the question, Lestrange.”

“No, but I am not brainwashed. My mind is perfectly healthy.” Rabastan does not wish to go thru any testing for brainwashing then he wants to go back to Azkaban.

“What are the terms of your contract with Potter?” Granger moves on to the next question.

“Marriage.” Granger face closes off at that but she tucks the quill and clipboard back into her purse.

“Potter, release your slave.” Granger demands. Rabastan raises his eyebrow, yes Potter owned him but he wasn’t her slave. 

“I don’t have a slave.” Potter said in the same icy tone.

“You bought Rabastan Lestrange from the Azkaban Auction!” The witches wand appears in her hand points at it at Potter. “He’s sitting next to you.”

“I suppose he is.” Rose muses, like she had just noticed him. “He’s not a slave. The auction was sanctioned by the Ministry of Magic, Granger it was all legal.”

“A sex slave is still a slave!” The girl yells triumphlly.

Rose looks angrily at the accusation, “Granger, I am not using him as a SEX SLAVE!” 

“But you will, since you bought him with the intention to marry him which is almost worst!”

“Get off your high moral fucking horse, Mudblood.” Rise catches the hand that tries to slap her. “This ain’t Hogwarts, there are other things at play here.

“Harry should’ve left you to rot in prison!” The girl looks infuriated. “You’re just an evil bitch.”

“Ministry Inspector Granger, get out of my home before I earn another prison sentence.” Her magic drenches the apartment and Granger is forced out of the flat.

The silence is deafening after that but, he turns to look at the angry witch. “You alright?”

Potter deflates, “I’m fine. Sorry, I attended Hogwarts with Granger. We’ve never gotten along.”

“I could tell.” Potter sinks into further into the couch, he needs a distraction. “Can we make muffins again?”

“Fuck yes.”

-

“May I ask about the prison thing?” Rabastan asks that evening. 

“Part of my cover story.” She shrugs. “I had to sneak off to boot camp somehow.”

-

The statuses of the former inmates of Azkaban were listed in the Daily Prophet. It listed Black, Sirius was listed as freed man. Lestrange, Bellatrix was listed as dead, his brother and him were listed as contracted to owner.

Rabastan knew why he was listed in such a status but he didn’t know understand why his father would have Rodolphus under contract. Rodolphus had been his fathers perfect little heir, marrying who he said, obeying his every order, both loyal to the Dark Lord. “Has my Brother or Father contacted you at all?”

Potter’s wards don’t allow owls to fly to the flat but it was obvious she had some method of obtaining the mail. “No, additionally if they had sent an owl to you I would have given it to you.”

“I see.” Somehow, he isn’t surprised. If his father wanted him home, he would have paid someone to have bought him instead of being sold to Potter for so cheap.

-

Potter mentioned that he was free to come and go as he pleased as long as he had the pocket watch. 

So Rabastan gets dressed and goes to Diagon Ally, he casts a disillusioned charm on himself and walks thru the area taking in the new shops and walking among people. It’s far calmer then the last visit with Potter. He visits the bank, his private vault had been reopened for him as it had been frozen during his Azkaban stay. He gets a new key and grabs some money, Potter usually pays for everything but like it be nice to have money of his own.

He continues his exploration before he ends up in front of a Florist, he spots a single white rose among a bunch of red ones. Rabastan is buying it before he can stop himself. 

Her flush when he presents it to her that evening is well worth it. It’s better then the first month were he walked around half naked to irritate her.

-

“Can you call me Rabastan?”

“Of course, Rabastan. Please call me Rose.”

“Rose.”

-

“Rabastan, do you wish to speak with your brother?” Rose asks him after dinner before he can ask a question

He takes a second to think about it, “Yes, if it would be possible.”

“Alright, I’ll see what I can do.” She said solemnly.

“Why?” He can’t help but ask.

“I, of all people understand the importance of brothers.” 

-

“Duel me?” He had been agitated all day, a duel would be a perfect excuse to release some of the tension.

“Sure. Follow me.” She leads him out the window of the kitchen on to the fire escape up to the roof.

Stepping one the concrete roof on to the flat open space, it’s free of a chimney or any obstructions. The early December air is cold and crisp, the wards shimmy over the area to adjust for the bright sun set. He was unaware where they were from inside the flat but here it was very obviously London the city being touched by the last light was beautiful. The roof isn’t a place he’d considered spending a lot of time in the past but he may have to change that considering.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Rose comments softly at his admiring, “I enjoy watching the sun rise from up here during the summer months.”

“Well that’s something to look forward to then.” Rabastan looks at his companion. The sun making her look like something ethereal for a moment. “So does this place have dueling wards?”

“Yes,” she grins. “How do you want to do this?”

The first duel doesn’t last long, she kicks his ass. The second duel he tells her it’s cause she distracted him because she looked so beautiful, it distracts her enough to push for an advantage and nab her wand. She’s blushing but demands a third duel which she wins laughing. The tension in his body leaves as they duel into the night. 

-

“Rose, do you still consider me attractive?” He asks trying to make her flustered.

“Yes.” Roses face has a tinge of red but she looks away.

“Good.” He grins at her.

-

One morning, she’s present in the kitchen when he’s walked in for coffee. The smell of baked goods in the air, “Good Morning, are those blueberry muffins?”

Rose laughs, “Morning Rabastan and of course. I don’t think you would have forgiven me if I had baked and didn’t make a batch.”

He smiles at her, “So what’s the occasion?” 

“I’m baking a cake for Hagrid, it’s his birthday today.” She smiles softly.

“Hagrid the Hogwarts gameskeeper?” That was the only Hagrid he knew.

“It’s actually Professor Hagrid now, he teaches Care of Magical Creatures.” Her smile turns mischievous before explaining, “Since Harry and my first year, it’s been a traditional to celebrate his birthday with him. I’m not about to let not being at Hogwarts stop me from it.”

“I see.” He pauses, “Could I go with you? To Hogwarts and to see Hagrid. He was kind to me and always allowed me to play with his puppy Fang as when I was a student.”

“Fang is an adorable old man now,” she smiles thinking about the big scaredy-cat of a dog. “And of course. Let me just finish this cake.”

Rabastan smiles faintly into his cup of coffee, she didn’t even hesitate on letting a death eater into Hogwarts but he supposes Rose had no reason to worry if he decide to relive his glory days and throw some crucios at students. Or she just trusts him his brain tells him. 

They get dressed, Rose wears a green sweater under her normal black colored overcoat. He raises an eyebrow at the sweater and to his surprise she blushes, a bit nervously. “Hagrid of all people isn’t about to sell me to the press. Do you not like the sweater?” 

“Matches your eyes.” He comments, shrugging his black overcoat over his grey robes. Rose has him hold two wrapped gifts while she holds the cake and they apparate to the gates of Hogwarts.

Hagrid is standing by the gate, smiling. “Rose! Glad ya could make it!” 

“Hagrid, it’s great to see you! Hope you don’t mind I brought Rabastan with me.” She greets him with her own smile. “He’s perfectly harmless, trust me.”

Hagrid looks suspiciously at them but takes in their appearance, Rose hasn’t let go of his arm holding the cake while he has packages in his other hand. “‘Course Rose, if you say so. Let’s head to the hut tho. It’s getting cold.”

“Its a pleasure to see you again, Hagrid.” Rabastan greets politely. “Rose tells me Fang is an old man now?”

Hagrid grins, inquiring about the dog had been a good idea. “Fangs still a puppy, even in his old age. Ya still love dogs?”

“Always.” It had been a tragedy that dogs were not acceptable pet at Hogwarts, he argued dogs were just loyal cats but still he wasn’t allowed one. “Rose, do you like dogs?”

“I’ve always been found of corgi’s.” She grins at him. “Hagrid, how has your other animals been?”

The three of them chat about animals till they reach Hagrid’s huts. Fang comes bouncing toward him, wagging his tail before rolling over for him to pet his stomach. “Aw what a good boy. You remember me from when I was a student don’t you?”

Here’s her down to pet Fang. Rose laughs at the site, placing the cake on the table. “Hagrid, I think you’ve lost your dog.”

“Nah, he’ll come back. Fangs always fond of ‘Bastion.” Hagrid grins brightly, “but Rose, I didn’t know ya were dating.”

“Ah... it’s a bit more complicated then that Hagrid.” Rose scratches her head. Fang rolled over to lick his face.

“He treatin you well? I still got that shovel you gave me a couple years ago.” Hagrid grumbles.

“Hagrid. It’s fine.” Rose said amused, “Anyways, Happy Birthday Hagrid! You’re still old.”

Hagrid shakes head, sitting down on the armchair, Fang waltz back over to his owner. “Will ya let me live that down Rose?”

“Never, Hagrid.” Rose grins sitting down undoing the cake box. Having seen her take it out of the oven, it’s a rather plain cake with white and blue frosting. When he asked, she explained it was tradition. 

Rabastan places the packages down on the table taking the seat next to Rose. “Happy Birthday, Hagrid. Also, congratulations on becoming a a Professor. Rose just told me.”

“Aw, thanks” Hagrid says scratching his cheek.

“Why does Rabastan get a ‘thanks’ and I don’t Hagrid?” Rose whines.

“Cause I called myself old once and ye never let me live it down!” 

Rabastan can’t help the laughter that falls from his mouth, Rose and Hagrid are a comedic duo he didn’t know he needed. 

-

“So why is it a tradition to celebrate Hagrid’s birthday with him?” He asks that evening. 

Rose stares off into space but answers, “Hagrid was the first person to give Harry and I a birthday cake. We were eleven and it was a simple yellow cake with white and blue frosting. Hagrid also bought us our first gift, Hedwig our owl, she’s Harry’s currently.”

“I see.” Rabastan frowns, “When is your birthday?”

“July 31st. When is yours?” She offers politely. 

Rabastan is pretty sure his file from Azkaban had his birthday listed but offers, “February 14.”

-

“Why do you dislike being a Hit Wizard?” 

Rose evaluates him, “It’s not a dislike per say, I just...well Healer Apple wasn’t entirely inaccurate when he describes the missions I undertake as suicidal.”

“I though Hit Wizards function defensively, why would that be suicidal?” That was the original treaty said after all, they would only be called in the defense of the crown and country when the statue of secrecy was written out.

“It wasn’t publicized but Grindelwald with his forty odd years of terror and two muggle world wars, the clause about Hit Wizards has been changed. It split into two groups, the reserve core functions defensively and active members fall into the sphere of the muggle military.” 

“And you’re an active member,” Rabastan recalling her words.

“Yes, the worst part of the job though is the muggles who over see our units.” She spits the word muggles out not unlike Lucius Malfoy might have. “They don’t trust us to oversee ourselves but they have no idea how our magic works. I’m a war mage so that means I get sent onto active battlefields and asked to wipe entire towns off the map but I’m one of the lucky ones.”

“And the unlucky ones?” Because that sounded worse than what the Dark Lord had asked them to do and if she considered herself lucky then what could be worst.

“Those who have talents in mind magic is the worst, they push them till they’re eyes bleed and they couldn’t tell me who they were. Then they ask them to do it again.” Rabastan looks at her in alarm, she’s crying in frustration. “Professor Snape is lucky to have taken the Dark Mark before he was called.”

“I don’t,” Rose tears rolls down her face. “I don’t want to die because some muggle.”

Rabastan who has never been able to handle crying girls well, just pulls the crying women into his arms. Rose lets him she doesn’t hug him back but she does cry into his chest, he can feel the wetness in his shirt. He runs a hand thru her hair, “Muggles are pretty terrible.”

“They really are.” She says into his chest. “I really hate them which makes me evil in the eyes of so many people but that’s fine. I rather be hated then let them ruin magic users.”

“You don’t need to convince me, Rose.” He holds touches her cheek with his left hand, the one with the dark mark. “Death Eater, remember?”

-

“What’s your favorite non-fiction book?” He asks after noticing the shelf tucked away with them.

“Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.” She smiles, “It’s an old muggle book but I’m fond of it. I have a copy of it on the shelf.”

“I shall look for it.” He’s never heard that one before. “Before Azkaban, I had been getting thru the Lord of the Rings trilogy, They’re not on the shelves, could you order them for me?”

“Sure, do you want the other books in the series as well?”

“There’s more then three of them?”

When Rose comes home from work the next day, she gives him the books for the trilogy, the Hobbit and the Silmarillion. 

-

“Rabastan, I’ve managed to arrange a meeting with your brother.” Rose walks in while he was eating lunch a week before Christmas. Dressed in her black robes with the hood pulled over her head. “We don’t have much time but it’s in an hour.”

Rabastan rushes his lunch and gets ready, in nice dark blue robes with a dark blue overcoat. Just because Rose wore black doesn’t mean he had too. He attaches the pocket watch and pulls his wand into the holster. She’s waiting for him in the kitchen, she apparently chosen to eat lunch while he got ready.

“Okay, lets go.” He offers her his arm and she slips her hand onto his elbow and with a twist they’re off. When they reappear, there in a forest next to a pond. “This is the Forest of Dean, sorry I had to work fast and this was the only place I could think off.”

“That is quite alright, least I get to see Rodolphus.” Rose casts a privacy and muggle repellent charms while he transfigures two benches from a log on the ground. 

Then with a vortex, Rodolphus Lestrange appears with a strangely familiar house elf. “Mistress Potter, I brought the strange brother as asked.”

“Thank you, Winky. I’ll call you again when I need you,” Potter tells the house elf and it snaps away. “Rabastan, you’re older brother as requested. I’ll go sit over there.” 

She walks away from the two brothers toward the pond, within shouting distance. The brothers sit on the benches he made.

“Hello, Little Brother.” Rodolphus said in his deep fond voice he recalls from his childhood. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Rodo,” Rabastan can’t help but use the childhood nickname for him. He takes in his older brothers appearance, Rodolphus doesn’t look much better then he did in Azkaban. Dressed in black robes, pale, his hair while clean isn’t taken cared for. It’s a stark contrast to how he was before Azkaban, who looked more like Rabastan does now but broader. “It doesn’t look like much has changed for you.”

“Father owns me. He doesn’t care for appearances as much as your little witch does apparently.” His brother teases.

“My looks are more of a me thing then a her thing, Rodo.” Rabastan said before complaining, “She wears black every single day.” 

“You did always complain about the tendency our Wizards to have monochrome attire.” Rodolphus comments quietly. A lull in the conversation as he doesn’t quite know how to comment on that, so he changes the subject.

“Why haven’t you contacted me before?” Rabastan asks a little be heartbroken but a little bit confident, Rose has done nothing but encourage him to ask questions. “It’s been months.”

“Father, forbid it. The entire Manor has been on lockdown since we left Azkaban.” Rodolphus gestures to Rose, “Your witch was rather crafty in getting me here. Father thinks I’m taking a bath currently.”

“You hate baths?” Rodo had always preferred showers, from when they were children.

“Father doesn’t remember that. He’s not entirely sane, Bastan.” Rodolphus sighs, “The years of isolation in the Manor has driven him insane I think, guilt over us being sent to Azkaban, the death of the Dark Lord, he’s mad.”

“What?” The father who raised them single handily after their mother died. The confident Lord Lestrange had gone mad? “So what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know, the contract he has me under is insane.” Rodolphus hands over the contract for his brother to read. He opens it and quickly scans it. 

It’s a slave contract, historically used by conquering lords over their opponents. It’s outlawed by the international community as inhumane. For his father to use this over his own son, it’s horrifying. Even after his father passes, it will continue to effect Rodolphus as most of his magic will be ripped from him and unable to inherit.

“Merlins saggy balls, Rodolphus. What are you going to do?” Rabastan voice rising in shock.

“Wait for Father to pass and try to live the rest of my life out in reclusion. It’s the only thing I can come up with.” Rodolphus said solemnly. “The Lestrange lordship will die with me but at least the blood lives on in you Rabastan.”

“Brother, it doesn’t feel right for the lordship to die with you unable to do a thing while I get to live on.” The pride of their family, the thing they had believed in when they joined the dark lord and messed up both their lives.

“Well from what your witch tells me, you’re marrying into her family so you can’t gain the lordship.” Rodolphus looks at Rose with a hint of something but Rabastan can’t tell what. “Well you were always the lucky one, I’m a slave to our insane father but you get a nice young wife.”

Rabastan turns toward Rose, plans unfolding in his mind. The marriage papers were taking so long because of the loopholes it needed to go thru for her to retain her last name. Rose wasn’t particularly interested in actually being Lady Potter but she needed the noble title. Lady Lestrange would also be a noble title with ties to French nobility. 

“Rodo, I have an idea. Do what you can to stay sane please.” Rabastan pleads his older brother. “It may take some time.”

His older brother tilts his head, “Know something you can’t tell me? Well promise me you’ll stay safe with whatever your planning Rabastan.”

“I promise, Rodolphus.”

“I should get going. Call your witch.”

-

“Rose, how attach are you to the Potter name? Emotionally?” Rabastan asks at dinner.

She pauses to think, “Not particularly, I mean I’m a girl so it’s typically expected that it will change one day.”

“Would you be willing to become Lady Lestrange?” He asks before elaborating a bit, “Like the Black family it is Ancient and Noble line with ties to English and French nobility with four seats.”

She smirks, “I could be convinced, tell me more.”

They spend the rest of the night mapping out everything they need to do to make that a reality. She complains about sexism when she realizes how much easier it is for her to take his name.

“For the Lestrange bonding, I need my lord fathers to give me away... would a godfather work?” Rose asked because well her father was dead.

“It would work, the magic will accommodate for your blood father death.” Rabastan comments. “Who is your godfather?”

“Lord Sirius Black.” She said before shuttering “oh boy that’s gonna be an conversation but I should be able to convince him.” 

Becoming Lord Lestrange wouldn’t be a problem for him, his father just needed to die and he should be able to claim it as last of the main line within a week of his death.

The issue was the Lestrange family magic means he couldn’t participate in killing his father without it lashing out at him. Rose told him then she will take care of it then they can get married then he take the lordship.

Now all they need was Sirius Blacks approval, finding a witness, and Rose insisted on letting Harry know.

-

“When should we do it?”

“New Years should be the easiest. I was given three days of leave.”

-

Rose got called into work emergency for two days, she sent a note with a apology.

-

“I had an idea for my witness, Rose.”

“Oh? Who?

“Hagrid.”

“He’ll cry.”

“Well what’s a wedding without someone crying.”

-

“Hagrid said he’d be honored!”

-

“So what are the plans for the holidays?” Rabastan asks her three days before Christmas.

“Do you want to accompany me to the family dinner at the Blacks house on the eve? We can ask Sirius together that way instead of me just badgering him.” Her green eyes twinkle at him.

“Of course, about how many people should be there?” He asks unsure on how big the Black family was anymore.

“Not too many, it should probably be 5 and one newborn baby.” 

-

Rabastan gets ready for the family dinner, pulling on a cream cable knit sweater and brown slacks with an black overcoat. Attaches the pocket watch to his pants to complete the look. Rose, in comparison is dressed in her normal black robes, which just worn do. “Rose, go put on some color.”

“What, why?” She asks confused as to why he’s ordering her.

“I’m asking your godfather to marry you tonight.” Rabastan reminds her, “it will leave a better impression if your not dressed for war.”

“I suppose, but what should I wear instead?” She asks him a bit out of her depth.

“Something not black, preferably a dress or skirt combo thing.” She walks back in her room for several minutes.

Rose walks back out in a grey turtle neck dress she paired with black tights, shoes, and her normal black coat. “How’s this?”

“Not enough color.” He changes the dress to a dark green. “There.”

“Sirius is gonna flip that I’m in color.” Rose rolls her eyes. “Ready to go?”

He nods and holds out his arm to her like normal. She tucks her hand one is elbow and they’re off. The Black townhouse looms as she and him walk the path to the front door, Rose throws the door open with a wave and drags them inside. Also casting a silence charm at the wall?

Rabastan follows her lead, not sure what is going on. She shouts “Sirius, we’re here!”

Sirius Black walks in to the hallway looking better then he ever did in Azkaban, dressed in sharp maroon robes. Rose immediately bounces over to the man and gives him a hug. “Rose, you’re here and you’re not wearing black. What madness is this?” 

“That would be Rabastan’s fault, he refused to let me out of the flat not in color.” She rumbles as they break a part.

“Well, least he’s good for something.” Black turns to look at him. “Well, I suppose at least your not Snivellus.”

“Ew, Padfoot. He was my Professor.” Rose scrunches her face at the thought. 

“Well he was the last Death Eater, you brought home.” The older man mutters hands on his hips.

“Pleasure to see you again, Black. Being a free man suits you.” Rabastan offers diplomatically. Rose glares at her godfather.

“Call me Sirius, Lestrange. Somehow I don’t think Rose will let me otherwise.” Sirius offers his hand to shake, per pureblood etiquette.

He takes it. “Then it’s Rabastan.” 

Rose smiles fondly at the two of them. Before footsteps thunder down the stairs and a body flings itself at Rose, he sees a flash of messy black hair. “Rose!”

She catches the male, bracing herself with a back step to accommodate the bigger male. “Harry, you gotta stop doing this! One day I’m just gonna fall over.”

“Like you’d let us.” Her twin grins at her before turning to look at him. “I see you’ve brought your man friend.”

Rose rolls her eyes, “You’ve been hanging out with Ginny way too much.”

“Well she’s my girlfriend.” 

“Well Rabastan isn’t my man friend, he’s my uh...” Rose trails off, well they really haven’t defined what terms they were.

“Fiancé, I’m Rose’s fiancé.” Rabastan clears up for her and holds out his hand for Harry. “It’s a pleasure to meet you finally, Rose has spoken a great deals about her brother.”

Despite all the press and fanfare, Harry Potter the boy who lived, defeater of Voldemort looks like any average 18 year old male. With green eyes behind glasses and black messy hair, he’s slightly taller and bulkier then his sleek sister. He is not in awe nor does Rabastan hate him for defeating Voldemort, survival is the name of the game after all. 

Rabastan’s choice of words bring a smile to the male, who shakes his offered hand. “Harry Potter, glad to meet the man my Sister has chosen.”

“I thought she bought him.” A unfamiliar voice walks in, a shockingly pink haired women walks in with a tall brown haired man. “It certainly looks like she got her money’s worth though.” She says with a leer.

“Tonks!” Rose squeaks, “Don’t look at him like that, you’re married.”

Rabastan laughs, “Good to know, you get jealous dear.” 

“I’m gonna give that comment the amount of acknowledgement it deserves and ignore it,” Rose said walking into a room with a blush on her face, while the hallway behind her laughs. 

The group follows after her into the dinning room. Rabastan is introduced to Tonks and Remus Lupin along with their infant Teddy. Ginny joins them shortly after, Harry had apparently abandoned her when Rose walked in. The dinner was enjoyable, Rose and him some good nature jabs about her clothes, something about a mail ordered husband he didn’t understand, and life in general. She was smiling the entire time during the family dinner, it was nice and nothing like the awkward ones with Bellatrix and Rodolphus years ago.

After dinner had been cleared up, Remus took their child upstairs to rest while they moved into the lounge. Rose sat next to him on a couch, the fireplace crackled in the background, they looked at each other this was going to be the best opportunity they would have to talk about the wedding.

Rose awkwardly coughed, “Sirius, Harry, there is something we wanted to talk to you about. I know our original plan was for me to become Lady Potter but...”

“I asked Rose to become Lady Lestrange,” Rabastan picks up for her, giving her hand a squeeze. “It’s quicker. She’d be better protected anyways and she didn’t want to take the business anyways.”

Both men look a bit taken back, Ginny and Tonks looks thoughtful at the two of them. Harry responds first with a shrug, “If Rose agreed to it, then there must be a good reason.”

Rose smiles at the faith her brother has in her, tangling her fingers with his on the couch. “There is, I can’t speak much about it.”

Sirius, looking every bit the part of Lord Black he hated, eyes their hand and frowns. “I don’t like the idea of my Goddaughter marrying a dark family like my own.”

“Sirius,” Tonks said lightly, “I think it is rather the point. Rose, your active?”

Rabastan’s head jerks up to look at her while Rose freezes, “Yes. You reserve?” She asked.

“Yes,” Tonks puts a hand on Rose’s shoulder. “I got lucky by that time, I was an Auror. Metamorphmagus are rare after all.” The emphasis on that, he inferred meant called to duty.

“Yeah, I know.” Rose said softly with the implications of a million stories, he squeezes her hand. Sirius says nothing taking in the situation with guarded eyes and squeezed fists.

“Rose becoming an Lestrange is the quickest method of protecting her.” Rabastan said. “For a proper Lestrange bonding, we need Rose’s Father Lord to give her away our we need you Sirius.”

“It may be the only way off protecting her, Padfoot.” Remus said walking in from the doorway with a sad tone. Life Partners are the only people, Hit Wizards are allowed to know of their status so he must be aware. “She needs a title.”

Harry looks confused at the conversation, aware that there is something they know but he doesn’t in regards to his sister. Harry stares at Rose, they appear to have some sort of mental conversation before he nods. “Please Sirius.”

Ginny at Harry’s side speaks up for the first time, “I know we aren’t exactly close, Rose. And I have no idea what everyone is talking about but will marrying Rabastan make you happy?”

Rose tenses again, Rabastan takes the question from her uncertainty. “I will do my best to make her happy.”

The green eyes snap to him widening in surprise, the flush on her cheeks. He smiles softly at her, the situation they’ve found themselves in may be odd but his magic is singing in approval. Rodo had said he was always the lucky one. 

“Alright,” Sirius sighs interrupting the moment. “I’ll give my approval, Rose. I’m sure James would never let me get away with it if I didn’t.”

“Thank you,” Rose smiles like she’s barely holding herself together. “All of you.”

-

The 25th, Rose has to go in to work but promises she’ll return for dinner. They eat dinner like normal and go sit on the couch like normal. Rose has turned the TV to some sort of Christmas muggle movie. 

“Rabastan, this is for you.” Rose hands him a small box, he opens it to reveal two sets of silver and gold cuff links. “It’s not much of a gift but I just saw it any thought of you.”

“Thank you,” He says examining them. “I’d like to ask my question now, Rose.”

“Alright, hit me with it.” She grins at him.

“Have you had your first kiss?” He smirks as her face grows as she processes the question. 

“No, never had an opportunity too.” She tries to keep her tone light.

Rabastan closes the distance between them and with a smirk deepens his voice. “Do you want one?” 

“I suppose..” she whispers as she turns to look at him. Her green eyes looking into his blue, they look bigger close up some how.

He presses forward to give her a chaste kiss on her lips, Rose looks shocked but doesn’t push him away. “Happy Yule Rose, there’s your gift.”

Rabastan grabs her hand and wraps a small gold bracelet around her wrist. “Not a gift, it’s yours already you just didn’t know it my fiancé.”

Rose touches the courting gift lightly, “Thank you.”

-

“How was work today?” He can’t help but ask, Rose had come in to the apartment looking like she fought a green slime monster earlier.

“Terrible.” Rose head rests on her hand. “If I ever see jello again it be too soon.”

“Well, you only have a couple days left at least.”

“True. That reminds me, I’m going to be late tomorrow. So eat dinner without me.”

“Oh may I ask why?” She doesn’t normally miss dinner.

“I need to go buy a wedding dress.” 

-

Two days before the new year, Rose walks in to their flat with a vicious smile on her face. “It’s done, Rabastan.”

“Good.” He takes her in his arms, “ Thank you Rose.” For doing this for me left unsaid.

She takes a leap of faith and leans up to presses a kiss to his lips, “Of course.”

Lord Lestrange is dead. 

-

New Years Eve isn’t a normal wedding day but it was to be theirs so they make do with it, in the cold snowy day on the roof. He casts all sorts of warming charms while Rose was getting ready with Tonks and Ginny. Rabastan wore a dark blue three piece robe set with his silver pocket watch and cuff links. Hagrid was in his nicest robes, standing by Harry who was trying to get him to calm down. Sirius and Lupin were talking behind him.

Rose called Winky this morning to see if Rodolphus wanted to attend the wedding but he declined, till Rabastan claimed the Lordship he was stuck at the lockdown manor.

Ginny and Tonks climbed up the stairs to the roof, then Rose emerged. Instead of a traditional white wedding dress, she had gone for a light pink colored lacy halter dress that flared at her waist with a cream colored overrobe. Her hair was pinned back behind her head, Rose looked radiant.

At his staring, Rose winked at him. “I figured you would appreciate no black for our wedding.”

Rabastan laughed, “You’re beautiful.”

She blushed, “Well your still handsome.”

“Good, you should get your moneys worth.”

“Stop flirting so the two of you can get married!” Harry cuts in suddenly.

Their ceremony is casual and quick, and goes off without a hitch. All parties are present and signed for. The last thing, Rabastan knows is the kiss to seal the magic. 

Rose doesn’t make the first move, she stares at him with her green eyes. So he takes the step and brings her close and presses their lips together. The gold magic indicating the Lestrange magic has accepted her shines above them, it causes her to gasp and part her lips. Rabastan uses it to his advantage and pushes his tongue in for a taste of her. 

Tonks wolf whistles and he pulls away. Rose is red but beaming at him. He smiles.

Tomorrow, he’ll claim the Lordship but right now he had his new wife to enjoy. 

-

“So, wife.” He whispers into her ear that night for his question, “was it everything you imagined?”

His hand trails up her naked thigh, moving the sheet to reveal the young women he happily enjoyed enjoys earlier. She enjoyed it too from the scratches on his back were any indication. It had been enthralling for her to lose control and just enjoy him in the most human of acts. 

Rose smiled lovingly at him, her hand making trails over his chest. “I’m just happy I get to touch your chest now, do you know how good you looked that day you walked out without a shirt on you tease?”


	2. Dogs of War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose’s side

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who knew I was going to come up with a complex character like Rose when I was drunk, not me that’s who.
> 
> My drunken notes consisted: of child soldier, Voldemort ain’t a problem, Roy Mustang.   
Hungover me came up with an interestingness idea with the muggles and I’m not sure if I fully fleshed out the ideas for it but like here y’all go.

“Major Potter, you’ve been requested on Operation R-BULL with the CIA. Here are your instructions, be ready for transport in two hours.” General Helm commanded her when she reported in, sliding her a packet.

“Sir, Americans again?” Rose hates working with Americans, the higher ups don’t care and the ground forces care too much. Their morality make it want to save her but she is bound to crown and country.

“It’s a international effort, read the papers Major. Dismissed.” Following the order, she leaves for her desk for when they have her doing paperwork.

Rose reads her orders from the stupid military commander, the Americans need her to wipe this middle eastern village off the map. Rose isn’t a bomb so it’s more discrete, just reduce the village into sand. No magical back up, the troops will be staged by the mountain. The transport team were arranging a air drop off over the middle of village, she’ll be leaving in two hours.

Her dog tags hang heavy from her neck, it’s going to be another fire whiskey and dreamless sleep night for her. Her head hurts as she pulls on her standard equipment from her drawer. Rose wants to scream at how unfair it is that she had standard equipment for mass murder, for a genocide she must rage for her crown and country. Command doesn’t see her a person just another weapon to be sent out, a dog of war.

Major Potter, War Mage, on paperwork she’s code name Flower. Typically that would be her name but she’s a twin to the Boy-Who-Lived, a public figure the government couldn’t hide her identity from others. It’s always an uphill battle if she gets paired up with another hit wizard who pity her or are outright hostile from the press articles. 

Rose politely tells them, her first call was at 15 and everything she’s done since has been sanctioned for crown and country.

-

Sirius welcomes her to his home that night, like every time before when Rose can’t be by Harry and his light. The darkness of the house lingers and Regulus Black haunts her inner thoughts. He had been like her but he died at 18. She completes his last mission for him and wonders if she is destined to die before she turns 19 as well. It hurts she can never tell Sirius that about his brother, the hero martyr.

Rose thinks Sirius understands on some subconscious level or maybe something in him screams that Rose needs him. His magic sings of loyalty and protect to her but he’s doesn’t know how to help her. 

Maybe it’s a pack thing since Remus is a moon wolf, Padfoot is an omen of death, and Rose is a dog of war. 

Sirius cracks open the fire whiskey and doesn’t leave her alone to drink.

-

Truth, Rose the youngest currently of the active Hit Wizard Units currently in use in active combat. War mage, combat is her specialty. 

If Rose had one wish, it was that other girls who went thru their majority and activated their calls would be like her. Assigned to active combat, a frontline fighter it was a far better fate then the average. It was mostly muggleborn and halfbloods girls who underwent trauma from a known criminal that activated a call, most of the time it’s some sort of mind powers. 

Rose second majority and her call for the Hit Wizards happened during the cursed triwizard tournament when her and her brother was sent to a graveyard. Her magic blasted thru the Rat and tortured Voldemort until his soul just broke. It thrummed war, a official was summoned who protected Harry and gave her the initial letter with instructions that it’ll take her to the meeting at midnight. Rose grabbed her brother and wished themselves back to Hogwarts. Dumbledore saw her letter and patted her head, he understood what had happened.

Rose’s first assignment of the Hit Wizards assigned by magic itself had been to wage war on Voldemort at the graveyard. 

The summer after fourth year had been the worst, she had been snapped up for active units. Command assigned her to the girls basic camp because of her age and gender despite her being different from every other person there. They were being broken and pushed mentally because most had some sort of mental power, Rose was pushed too for a while except her magic was violent and caused physical danger to the instructors. So she slept and spent time with the other girls and for their classes she be shipped off to the combat classes meant for adults. 

Rose, wasn’t the youngest in her group at the girls camp. The youngest was Sarah Parker a 11 year old muggleborn who went into her majority when she was rapped and activated her call. 

Rose’s second assignment had been to put her down when the higher ups had pushed the young girl too far. Sarah, too far gone would have taken the camp down with her but Rose had been her friend in the camp. Rose was the only combat oriented trainee in the camp, there was no choice the trainers screamed at her. 

She stood in horror unharmed by the chaos till a small voice trickled into her mind, Sarah’s voice begging her to end it. So Rose did and became the weapon. She was the murderer of Sarah Parker who wanted to be an dancer, who’s beautiful smile wasn’t broken even by the actions of horrible men. 

To say she broke was an understatement, Rose’s magic lashed out at command at anyone who came close. She never reached out to anyone at camp again asking they not befriend her. If she wasn’t close, maybe she would be asked to put them down like they weren’t people. Maybe if Rose shut herself down the world would be better. 

Weapon, high command whispered when they saw first hand her talent for war. It was her second majority so it was possible to control her they thought. They assigned her a mind Healer, code name Apple. The 50 year old man who activated in the last wizarding war. He was horrified, Rose was a skinny 15 year old girl. The same age as his daughter but everyone had their orders. 

Rose was sent out to kill again. And again. They focused her killing rage. 

The only good part was she got her flat, because she was a military officer. Harry was happy to escape the Dursley’s with free access to see his friends and Sirius. It was the happiest summer of his life.

Dumbledore looked at her in pity, he was a headmaster so he knew of her status as a Hit Wizard. He didn’t say anything allowing Harry freedoms.

Rose just wished for their relatives to be the worst muggles she’d ever met. 

-

Rose was 18 and wanted to die. She was going to die if she didn’t escape this fate. It had been a long couple years. Between the two of them, Harry was the one who comes up with the stupid crazy ideas but this time it had to be Rose. Harry didn’t know, couldn’t know what she was doing.

Then Harry told her about the Azkaban Auctions, Harry wanted to buy Sirius’s bond to free him and go live with him. It was a good plan, so Harry moved his stuff to Sirius’s and they planned out how to win him. Third year, had proved Harry’s weakness to dementors so Rose wasn’t able to let him go alone. Her status as a Hit Wizard would provide her access into the auctions.

So they went, Harry and her were browsing the prisoners waiting for the auction to start till they stood in front of the Lestrange exhibit where Neville and Luna was.

“Going to buy Bellatrix Lestrange, Neville?” Harry asks him, the boy has spoken about how she was the one who was the leader of the group who went after his parents in the dorms before.

“Yes.” He said sternly. Looking at them like they were going to talk him out of it.

“Good for you, Nev.” Rose encourages him instead. They were the house of the brave, not the house of the moral. Nev nods and Harry takes him away from the photo of Bellatrix before he does something like talk himself out of it. Luna stays behind with her. 

“Rose, are you here for your Alwaid?” Luna asks whimsically. Rose was sure Luna was in attendance to buy her father out of jail again. He wanted a front row seat to the auctions.

Rose tilts her head at Luna, at her words though. “Alwaid?” Her translation spell read it as Arabic but it had no connection to any terrorist groups she knows. 

Luna flicks her eyes to the board of the Lestranges, Rose looks and her eyes catches Rabastan Lestrange’s image and information. The 19 year old pictured from his original capture was attractive, dark haired man with blue eyes who even from a photo seemed intense. “Guess I am, thanks Luna.”

The small girl smiles softly at her, Rose wonders of all the things she sees and if Luna ever regrets knowing her. Lunas magic sung of knowledge since they’ve met, so she wouldn’t be surprised if Luna knows her secrets. Rose bathes in blood and destruction but Luna was her best friend, their destiny stood parallel. “Rose, he’ll take care of you if you let him ok?”

Rose nods and they go to rejoin the others, the auction is about to start.

-

She won the auction of Rabastan Lestrange, what she was going to do with a 34 year old man Rose still didn’t know. 

Rose stole the file Azkaban had on him, Pureblood, death eater, and unmarried.

Unmarried, that was something she could use. An Hit Wizard couldn’t be someone of importance. She could become Lady Potter, if she held a title she’d be forced into the reserve core.

Guess she was getting married.

-

The first time she gets a chance to really see Rabastan Lestrange’s it’s in her flat.

Their power levels are similar but Rose hasn’t gone thru her last maturity stage yet. Her magic reads him as lucky and survival, like Roses read war. It’s an interesting combination but hopefully he wouldn’t mind being her Lady Luck.

-

Work waits for no man and she has to file the report that she has a live in boyfriend now so to list him as her next kin. Along with the paperwork to tell him her status as a romantic partner which could take months. 

-

Well, cleaned up 34 year old Rabastan Lestrange all cleaned up was just as attractive as 19 year old one to her. Also, he loves blueberry muffins.

Rose sends a mental thank you to Luna while she works on the muffins for Sirius, the man already ate thru Molly’s stash for him and he didn’t want to admit it.

-

“Luna!” Rose used her stolen time turner to see her friend. She doesn’t want people knowing about it so she rarely uses it but Luna was important.

“Rose,” Luna smiles and gives her a hug. “I’m glad you had the time to see me.”

“Always, Luna.” Rose winks at her best friend who laughs at her. 

“So how’s Alwaid?” Luna said with a knowing smile.

“Hot, Luna.” Rose comments with a small smile. “Thank you for the gift.”

-

The morning she finds out about the Longbottom attack, she completes her mission in record time before asking command to go. 

It’s a relatively new commander who just dumbly nods while the destruction behind her burns. 

Rose pops into existence in the England base before hoping away to see Nev, he and Luna reassure her that he’s fine. Neville is going to be starting his apprenticeship at Hogwarts soon anyways.

She then rushes home to her flat, her wards are based on the Longbottom Manor. Rabastan needs to be armed. 

-

Skeeter was just a bug and a useful outlet of her anger. 

-

On the first anniversary of Lord Nott’s death, she goes to see Theo. He holds her hand as they stand in front of the grave. She whispers, “I’m sorry.” 

The worst part of the assassination of Lord Nott had been they had used the fact she had given access to the property because of her friendship with his son. The absolute worst part is she made it look like he died in his sleep, she would live with the guilt of his death forever. Theo should have never been her friend. 

Theo just holds her trembling hand, unsure why she’s crying but accepting it’s just a weird Rose thing.

At work, she throws herself off a cliff almost killing herself. Healer Apple brings her home that night.

-

After the big reveal, Rose is surprised by Rabastan. He treats her kindly, not pushing her. Day by day, their dinner and questions become a light in her ever dark world. 

She’s eager to come home to him, Rose becomes a little less reckless in her missions she wants to make it home for dinner to have Rabastan know a bit more about her.

Rose would like to be lucky for once.

-

Hermione Granger, would of course want to be their inspector. The muggleborn arrogant know it all who believed in all things ‘right’ and ‘light’ without ever looking beneath the words on the page. Miss Perfect Granger, girlfriend to Harry’s best friend Ronald. 

Rose knows her very well, she had shared a dorm room with her for seven years. They know each other enough to constantly be getting under each other’s skin. Granger who believed muggles could do no wrong, championed their rights in their dorm. It bothered Rose who grew up abused my muggles who thought they could beat the magic out of her before thrown in the muggle military who asked for atrocities of her. 

Muggles aren’t some saints needing to be protected, they aren’t more valued then those are magical. If Rose had her darkest wish every muggle would burn but Rose keeps that from being her reality. Muggles and Magicals are just humans, both capable of great feats of both evil and good. It’s all a shade of grey.

Rose barely kept herself from killing Granger, when she sprouts off in the dorms. Unlike what Rose did to Umbridge who dared to mark her brother, her precious twin. She was a Dog of War and Umbridge was a threat to the country and crown. Rose excepted her fate and became Umbridge’s judge, jury, and executioner. She wouldn’t do the same to Granger who could’ve been any number of girls in the camp.

Hopefully, Granger grew up since Hogwarts. Rose will do her best to hold her temper, for Rabastan.

-

It did not go to plan. 

She does discover Rabastan is a good lid for her temper though.

-

Rose gets Hagrid’s birthday off, so she bakes and brings Rabastan with her when he asks. The brunch was lovely, seeing Rabastan around dogs was amusing. 

Hagrid stops her before she says her goodbyes to him, “Are you sure you’re not dating him?”

Rose whispers to him, “Hagrid, I’m going to marry him.”

Hagrid smiles, “Good for ya Rose.”

-

Short of laying siege to Lestrange Manor where she has tracked Rodolphus Lestrange to be, there was no way she was getting in. But that’s okay, maybe she just needed to find the right house elf for the job. 

It takes some time but Winky, Crouch’s old house elf ends up being the most helpful. Apparently, the house elf had accompanied her old master there so she is able to get in and out of the wards. She wrote a brief note for Winky to deliver to Rodolphus Lestrange.

-

After when Rabastan offered his plan to have her become Lady Lestrange, the words Luna offered her that day ring thru her head. Rose agrees, and Rabastan sends her world thru a tail spin for the next two weeks.

A whirlwind of things happen, the dinner, discovering Tonks and Remus understand, Sirius, Harry, murdering another Lord, and finally marrying Rabastan. 

After everyone left and it was just them, Rose was going to go into her room. When the man growled at her and picked her up, carrying her into his room. “You’re not leaving me yet.” The man mutters.

“Never,” Rose whispers into his ear and he shivers. He’s her lady lucky after all.

-

January is another busy month with the first day they become Lord and Lady Lestrange, she calls Healer Apple for help with trying to fix Rodolphus, and moving into Lestrange Manor. Rose gleefully reports to high command of her new name and status, they send her over to the reserves team where Tonks is waiting and greets her with a hug.

Rose is the first transfer from active to reserve units that wasn’t a result of injury, so they’re a bit lost on what to do with her but the real Moody is all to happy to train her to be an Unspeakable when she tells them. Rose has always loved to read so a researcher suits her perfectly, she has seen more then enough action in her life.

In her excitement she all but tackles Rabastan when she gets home expressing her gratitude. Rodolphus laughs at their antics.

-

Rabastan and her adjust to sleeping in the same bed, they both have a lot of nightmares him of Azkaban and her of what she had done but they make it work. 

She hugs him close on nights he dreams he’s still in Azkaban, keeping him warm as he slowly remembers he is no longer there. He speaks stories of the dark lord, and the things he’s seen and done. She listens and runs her fingers thru his hair. Rabastan in turn holds her and lets her cry into his chest when the faces of the dead haunt her. He lets her tell stories of what haunts her, of Sarah, Lord Nott, and the names of villages that no one but her will ever remember again. 

Rabastan accepts all of her, her dark with his own dark. She makes it a habit to press a kiss to his dark mark while he presses his own kisses to her scars. 

-

One late morning, Rose tells him she really likes waking up with him in bed with her in her half asleep state.

Rabastan gives her a kiss and tells her he can make it better morning. They don’t get out of bed that day.

-

With Rabastan’s birthday around the corner, Rose has an idea for it. He’s made her promise to not get him anything because of everything she’d done and paid for last year. But there is a gift she can give that doesn’t require money.

It’s a nice slow day they spend together, choosing to forgo any Valentines dinner places and take dinner in their rooms. They’re laying on their bed, Rose resting her head on Rabastan arm looking into her wonderful husband. 

“I know you said no gifts or anything but I did have something to tell you.” Rose said confidently. “It’s something that you haven’t asked me but I wanted to say it.”

His blue eyes turn toward her and with a teasing grin. “Oh? Is there something else your hiding from me?”

“I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drink safely kids.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope the style isn’t too off but I didn’t want to spend all my time writing Rabastan’s day to day life instead focusing on the communication of Rabastan and Rose.


End file.
